If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness...Come what may, and love it! -Joseph B. Wirthlin

Thursday, January 6, 2011

A Culmination of Small Victories

I am realizing more and more the incredible wisdom in the scripture, " by small and simplethings are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise" (Alma 37:6) Isn't life really about the small victories? When you add all of those up, you get something amazing and great.

Let me give you a few examples...the first one would be dieting. Okay, I am not going to call it dieting because it makes it sound temporary. Right now, my goal is to eat clean. To me, this means that I am cutting out sugar and processed food. In simple terms, I am cutting out the crap. I have had three very successful days of eating this way and let me tell you, I feel great. I don't feel deprived at all. But the small victory this week came at book club. I brought the treats this month and I picked a healthier fare. I had no intention of eating anything, but I did indulge in a small bowl of kettle corn, which has been my only sugar intake this week. I made a choice, it was either that or a bag of the 100 calorie minty fudge cookies. Normally, I would have had many choices, but I picked one. But don't think I was not having an argument with myself the entire time, because I was. "Oh, come on...it is just one bag and only 100 calories, what's the big deal?" "No, it is a big deal because then you won't know that you can exercise self-control." Yep, these kinds of thoughts were coursing through my brain.

It was a small victory, but I know it will add up to great things. I am preparing my lesson for Sunday and it is on fasting. The manual teaches that when we have a successful fast, "We are a little stronger by having proved to ourselves that we have self-control." I had never really thought of it that way. But think about how when we have a small victory, we are proving to ourselves that we can accomplish our goals.

In the same way I have taken on the monumental task of educating my children. With each day of successfully hitting the books, I am adding drops of knowledge to their little brains, which will culminate into glorious things when they get older. I definitely see it. They have come so far in their education and I know that I have only laid the foundation for the things that they will do in the future. With every math problem they successfully solve or word they correctly spell, great things are coming to pass.

This has been palpable with violin and viola as well. Last night I had the privilege of sitting on a bean bag being overcome by watching my children practice their recital pieces with an accompanist. All the hours of lessons and practices...all of those small victories and now I sit back and watch the miracle. I really did almost cry last night.

As I move forward in my life with eating better and such, I will build off of my small victories. I know that I will not be perfect and I am okay with that. But each day I get stronger. That is truly a blessing.